Russia faces scientific brain drain amid funding cuts
At the beginning of 2024, only 340,000 scientists were working in Russia, which is the lowest figure since the dissolution of the USSR. The main reason for the emigration is budget cuts at universities, reports "Moscow Times".
Russia is experiencing a dramatic decline in the number of scientists. At the start of 2024, around 340,000 researchers were active in the country, a decrease of 1,800 people compared to 2021 and the lowest level since the USSR era. According to the independent portal "Moscow Times", the primary reason for this phenomenon is the budget cuts affecting Russian universities.
According to data from the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow, since 2020, as many as 7,600 scientists have left national scientific and academic institutions. Compared to 2015, this number has decreased by 40,500, which represents a decline of 11 per cent. The reduction of funds for science is one of the main factors of this trend. Since 2015, funding has decreased by 14 per cent in real terms, taking inflation into account.
The war in Ukraine and scientist emigration
The start of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine has further intensified the exodus of scientists. Since February 2022, at least 2,500 researchers have left the country, including over 800 who have published in leading global scientific journals. The most scientists, about 23 per cent, have left Moscow universities like HSE, Moscow State University (MGU), Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).
Dmitry Dubrovsky, founder of the Program of Ethnic Studies at the European University in St. Petersburg, estimates that the actual number of scientists who have left Russia is between 7,000 and 8,000.
Many scientists have faced persecution due to their political views and also because of collaboration with colleagues abroad, said Dubrovsky.
After the dissolution of the USSR, nearly a million scientists were working in Russia, the highest number in the world. By 1995, this number had fallen to around 518,700, in 2000 to 426,000, and in 2010 to 368,900. The current situation continues this trend, raising concerns about the future of Russian science.
